The present invention relates to a speech recognition system and more particularly to a speech recognition system which facilitates the running of multiple user application programs by spoken input.
While operating systems are known which provide a multi-tasking capability thereby allowing a plurality of user application programs to run essentially simultaneously, it has heretofore been difficult to control such applications by voice input even though speech recognition systems capable of translating spoken commands into text strings also existed. As is understood by those skilled in the art, even the best speech recognition programs occasionally produce misrecognitions, i.e. respond with a text string which does not correspond to the intended spoken command. Further, the user himself may misspeak on occasion. In the context of running multiple user application programs, the effect of sending an inappropriate text string to a running one of the other user programs may produce a situation which is difficult to correct. In other words, it may be extremely difficult for the user to back out of the situation created by the misrecognition.
Among the several objects of the present invention may be noted the provision of an improved system for controlling multiple user application programs by spoken input; the provision of such a system which allows a user to undo the effect of a translation previously sent to a user program; the provision of such a system which allows the user to select an alternate translation to replace a previously sent translation; the provision of such a system which is highly reliable and which is of relatively simple and inexpensive implementation. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.